I write the weekly childrens book column for The South Wales Evening Post. I review childrens books from picture books, middle grade fiction, non fiction and young adult books. I am officially a bookworm.

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Friday, 14 April 2017

This week my pick of children's books for The South Wales Evening Post include a star gazing heroine, a finger painting garden, chocolate trouble at Easter and a heroine with a different view of the world.

My column can be found in the Weekend supplement of The South Wales Evening Post on Saturday and Sunday.

Wishing Everyone A Very Happy Easter!

BOOK OF THE WEEK

STARGAZING FOR
BEGINNERS BY JENNY MCLACHLAN

YOUNG ADULT 12+

Meg is desperate to win a
competition to visit NASA because she dreams of becoming an
astronaut. When her eccentric mother leaves her looking after her
sister Elsa how will she juggle school and a baby? A fast paced
contemporary coming of age tale about responsibility, friendship and
following your dreams. Full of girl power this is a feisty, fun read
and unapologetically smart! Never be too afraid to reach for the
stars.

ISBN 9781408879597 PB
Bloomsbury £7.99

FINGERPRINT ACTIVITIES
GARDEN BY FIONA WATT & CANDICE WHATMORE

CHILDEN 5+

Great for bored little
fingers over the holiday. This activity book is brimming with ideas
for finger painting with lots of scenes for pictures inspired by the
garden. Very clearly and brightly illustrated by Candice Whatmore
kids will love learning how to finger paint foxes, flowers, spiders
or rabbits amongst others. Children will spend hours having fun
creating their own pictures with the included ink pad. Perfect for
budding, little artists.

ISBN 9781474932301 HB
Usborne £9.99

DAISY AND THE TROUBLE
WITH CHOCOLATE BY KES GRAY

CHILDREN 6+

Daisy is back but this
time she is getting into trouble over Easter. Her mum is taking her
to Chocolate Land and she has to look after the class hamsters at the
same time. What could go wrong! Simple, engaging text that is
littered with funny illustrations by Garry Parsons, this is perfect
for early readers and reading out loud. Ideal for the holidays and
chocolate lovers. A great alternative to a chocolate egg!

ISBN 9781782956099 PB Red
Fox £5.99

THE STATE OF GRACE BY
RACHAEL LUCAS

YOUNG ADULT 12+

Grace has Aspergers and
her own way of looking at the world. As long as life stays the same
Grace feels safe with her horse and her best friend for company.
However change is on its way, how will she cope? This is an intimate
portrayal of a teenager that is enlightening, funny and romantic.
Grace's witty, inner dialogue proves insightful to the reader
especially as the story was inspired by the authors real life
experiences.

Friday, 7 April 2017

This week my pick of children's books for The South Wales Evening Post include a book loving heroine, fun at the farm, a code cracking young genius and a time travelling romance.

My column can be found in the Weekend supplement of The South Wales Evening Post on Saturday and Sunday. Enjoy!

BOOK OF THE WEEK

BOOKSHOP GIRL BY SYLVIA
BISHOP & ILLUSTRATED BY ASHLEY KING

CHILDREN 9+

Property
has a big secret. She can't read, even though she loves everything
about books. When her adopted family win a wondrous bookshop, is the
prize too good to be true? Will Property save her family from
disaster and keep her secret? Can the shop's very grumpy cat help
her? This magical story is a joy with a feisty heroine that will
capture your heart. The line illustrations by Ashley King compliment
its quirky charm throughout. Enchanting.

ISBN 9781407159690 PB
Scholastic £5.99

REALLY FEELY FARM BY
DORLING KINDERSELY

BOARD BOOK 0+

These delightful sturdy
touch and feel books are packed with fluffy patches, bumpy patterns
and tactile glitter that invite pre schoolers to touch and tickle.
The crisp, clear pictures and text show a well thought out
introduction to animals and birds on the farm. Toddlers can learn the
names of chickens, pigs, sheep and more. Also available in the
series are Baby Animals. A perfect and healthy alternative to
chocolate for Easter!

ISBN 9780241268056 HB
Dorling Kindersley £ 5.99

WILLIAM WENTON AND THE
LURIDIUM THIEF BY BOBBIE PEERS

CHILDREN 9+

William
has inherited a genius for code breaking from his grandfather, who
has mysteriously disappeared. When his extraordinary talent is
discovered he is kidnapped and taken to a secretive institute full of
some very cool gadgets and robots. What is the strange substance
called Luridium? Who is chasing him? This award winning adventure
bristles with excitement, humour and some jaw dropping cliff hangers
giving it a wide appeal. Da Vinci Code meets Alex Rider.

ISBN 9781406371703 PB
Walker Books £6.99

WAKING IN TIME BY ANGIE
STANTON

YOUNG ADULT 13+

Abbi arrives in college
only to find, on her second day, she wakes up in 1983. It's just the
beginning of her time travelling. Can she solve her grandmother's
mystery as she tumbles through the decades? Another student, Will has
travelled forward in time from 1927. Will their love survive? How
will they get back home? A nostalgic, romantic mystery with a timely
twist. Back to the Future meets The Time Travellers Wife.

Sunday, 2 April 2017

My interview with the author Katy Cannon, author of And Then We Ran.

A road-trip story about following your dreams and embracing the unexpected.

Out now with Stripes Publishing.

Where did your idea for two teens eloping come from?

This book was unusual in that I woke up one morning with the idea right there in my head - so I have no idea where the initial spark came from! But once it was there, I knew it was something I definitely wanted to write, and I knew that I wanted the main characters to be friends, not in a relationship, when they decided to do it. Which meant I had to do a lot of thinking to figure out why they’d do such a thing!

What's your favourite part of the book?

I love the scene with Megan and Elliott in the caravan, I have to admit. But my absolute favourite part might have to be the text message based flirting between Megan’s best friend, Becca, and Elliott’s brother, Sean! Stripes have done a fab job in presenting those parts of the text so they look like real messages, and I just love looking at them.

Do you empathise with Elliot or Megan more?

Probably Elliott. Megan is far wilder, more impulsive and more confident than I’ve ever been! Whereas Elliott, dreaming of a future he knows he can’t have - until Megan suddenly gives him hope again - feels a lot more like I did when I was younger, dreaming of being a writer but not believing it was possible.

Why did you base it in Wales? What part of Wales inspired you?

I grew up in North Wales, but I’ve spent a lot of summers (and springs, and summers, and winters, actually) in South Wales on holiday - mostly in Pembrokeshire, where the book is partially set. It’s an area I know well, and I loved the idea of writing about a seaside tourist town in the off season, when it’s just the locals there. Plus I know how difficult it can be to get in and out of the area! I’ve spent hours stuck behind a tractor on the winding roads through the Brecon Beacons, or in miles of holiday traffic trying to get into Pembrokeshire from the East. I knew I wanted to write a road trip story, but there really isn’t an awful lot of Britain to road trip through - you can drive from end to end in a day if you really wanted to. But getting from Pembrokeshire to Gretna Green is difficult enough for Megan and Elliott to get into some real trouble on their journey...

What are your fondest memories of growing up in Wales?

Mostly being with my large and extended family. We have a lot of family get togethers with singing and great food.

Also, a lot of holidays on the Welsh coastline, in caravans and cottages mostly. I love the Welsh seaside, and visiting the castles, hills and villages of the country. I’m just fascinated by its history and mythology. Also the language - learning Welsh at the age of nine, when we moved home to Wales, was a revelation! I’m trying to brush up on my Welsh now, actually, as my daughter has decided that she wants to learn to speak it, too.

Why did you want to become a writer and has anything surprised you about being a professional writer that you didn't expect?

I’ve always had stories in my head, and I’ve always loved books more than almost anything, so being a writer just felt like what I was meant to do. Making stuff up for a living, finding a way to make those stories run in other peoples’ heads as well - it’s the best job ever. What surprised me most, I think, is how many other people are involved! I might write the stories, but that’s just the beginning of the process of getting books into readers’ hands. I couldn’t do it without a fabulous team, from my agent to my editor, to everyone at my publisher, to the booksellers, librarians, book bloggers - and the readers themselves!

What's your favourite quote?

Are you working on your next book and if so can we have a sneaky clue what its about?

I’m just starting work on it this week! So all I can tell you right now is that it will be wildly romantic...

Many thanks to Katy for such a great interview. For more information on Katy and her books visit her website on www.katycannon.com/